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Mapping the path to love 大学生绘制“南京爱情地图” 来源：21世纪英文报第772期 YOU would expect a heartbroken lover to hide away from happy couples. But 21-year-old Chen Zhou, who broke up with his long-term girlfriend, is using his experience to bring lovers closer together. “My ex-girlfriend and I were living in separate cities and our relationship couldn’t survive the distance,” said Chen, a senior student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “I found that even when I went to her college, we couldn’t find a place to go on dates.” It was this regret that drove him to design a “dating map”, which partners can use to locate Nanjing’s romantic hotspots. The map highlights restaurants, parks and entertainment establishments that are popular among Nanjing lovers, marking each with a heart-shaped dot. Adidas stores and KFC outlets are also marked on the map. Chen deems these as important indicators of the dating popularity of an area. “Usually, areas near Adidas stores and KFCs are youth-friendly and busy places, which young couples often go to.” On the back of the map, Chen lists the top 50 love-friendly tourist spots as well as some of the memorable love stories which have taken place in the city. The map also provides student discount information. “Nanjing is a great place for college lovers and has a rich cultural heritage,” said Chen, a Hunan native who majors in Electronic Information Science and Technology. Chen began his project in July. He is a fan of cartography and was inspired by urban food maps he found at newsstands. To match the needs of students, Chen conducted a campus survey on top dating destinations. He cycled street by street to locate the spots and evaluate them. Since the map was launched online in August, it has received a warm response from students. Chen now has a team of students to promote an upgraded version to publishers. Some would think that Chen is a love expert, at least in Nanjing. But he insists that he won’t start a new relationship until he can take responsibility. “Love is not a game. It is hard for college students who are in a changeable period of their lives,” said Chen. He tells the story of a friend who was forced to separate from his girlfriend because her family said he was too poor. The humiliation pushed the man to became successful. But when he had achieved wealth, he began to play at love. “What a pity,” said Chen. “You can be rich and spend the night in a fancy restaurant, but what really matters for a relationship is how you feel in your heart.” Now Chen focuses on his map, which he hopes will not only add to people dating know-how, but demonstrate his attitude towards love. The map’s slogan reads: “You don’t need to visit all the spots on this map, but you must be serious with every one of your dates.” 21ST Li Wenwen contributed to the story Romantic student hot-spots Feng Yuan, 23, a Secretary major of Beijing Union University “The Olympic Park are suitable for college couples. It’ll open to the public during the October Golden Week. There are also many free hang-outs on campus. I highly recommend the Butterfly Square in the University of Science and Technology’s Yanqing campus. It is a square with plenty of green grass and an beautiful lake.” Zheng Jie, 21, is a Chinese Literature major in Xiamen University “My college is located at the seaside and is one of the best dating places. One of the spots popular among my classmates is Lovers’ Valley which is located between two hills and is surrounded by a reservoir. Qin Dao in Gulangyu island is full of Western style buildings and is the most romantic place for lovers.” Du Xiaoge, 22, an English major in Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin province “I prefer Changchun World Sculpture Park and Jingyuetan Park, as they are famous cultural sites and have some beautiful woods. These are good for jogging. I think the most important thing when choosing a place to date is that it suits both partners. That way the date will be perfect.” By Li Wenwen aeronautics 航空学 album 专辑 anniversary 周年纪念 astonishingly 令人吃惊的 astronautics 航天学 cartography 地图学 cram 填满 discount 折扣 entrepreneur 企业家 establishment 设施 ex-girlfriend 前女友 fluctuate 波动 guinea pig 豚鼠，实验标本 Dow Dow-Jones，道琼斯 heritage 遗产 hotspot 热点 humiliation 羞辱 hurricane 飓风 intoxicate 醉人 jog 漫步 lucrative 有利的 mentality 心理 panic 恐慌 photojournalist 摄影记者 recession 不景气 reservoir 水库 spotlight 聚光灯 tattoo 纹身 trauma 创伤 turmoil 混乱 BONUS Expressions go south 恶化 As the economy goes south, parents are asking their kids in university to study close to home. 随着经济状况的恶化，家长都要求子女上学尽量离家近一些。 drop out 辍学 The rocker dropped out of high school and formed his own band. 摇滚乐手高中就辍学自己组建乐队。 hang out 约会 With the price of oil going sky-high, the young couple has been choosing to hang out at home more often. 油价飙升，很多年轻情侣开始选择在自己家里约会。

【趣味阅读】大学生绘制“南京爱情地图”